Ticket reader

ABSTRACT

A ticket reading system including a rotary turret having a plurality of ticket receivers about a top surface thereof, an ejector for pushing the tickets out of said receiver, hood means for deflecting the tickets after they have been ejected from the receivers and vacuum and control means for controlling the application of vacuum and the ejector.

United States Patent 1191 Foret et a1.

[4 1 Oct. 15, 1974 [54] TICKET READER 1,268,212 6/1918 Burget 221/192 x 1,391,129 9/1921 Lee 271/63 R [75] Inventors: f f F 3,135,509 6/1964 Zweig 271/86 W1Il1am Donohoe, Natick, both of Mass. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 73 Assigneei Dennison Manufacturing pa 1,284,129 11/1968 Germany 271/71 Framingham, Mass. 1 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher [22] Flled' 1972 Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Sto ner, Jr. [21] Appl. No.: 236,510 Attorney, Agent, or FirmDike, Bronstein. Roberts,

Related US. Application Data Cushman & Pfund 62 D fS .N .56,28l,J1 20, l970,Pt.N, 1 252;; er 0 u y 3 [57 ABSTRACT A ticket reading system including a rotary turret hav- [52] US. Cl. 271/180, 271/184 ing a plurality of ticket receivers about a top Surface [51] Int. Cl t. B6511 29/00 thereofy an ejector for pushing the tickets out of i [581 Flew of Search 271/71 63 1741 receiver, hood means for deflecting the tickets after 271/180 1844 87; 221/192 they have been ejected from the receivers and vacuum and control means for controlling the application of [56] References Cited vacuum and the ejector.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Cl 4 D F 302,918 8/1884 Layman 271/63 R alms raw'ng PATENTEDum 1 51974 SIEEI 1 BF 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a system for reading information written on a recording media, and is more particularly directed to a new and improved high speed 1 ticket reading and sorting device.

There are many different machines available for reading relatively large, punched cards and the like and for sorting out cards carrying certain information from a batch of cards.

The most prevalent type of card or ticket reader (and/or sorter) available is one that relies upon the undirectional movement of a card along a machine bed by the use of mechanical feelers or pushers. Such systems have been found to be quite useful particularly in cases where the card contains holes which are sensed by feelers at a reading station.

Although the above type of card reader is quite suitable for reading large cards, transport problems as well as reading difficulties are encountered where the cards are reduced in size, as for example where the size of the card or ticket is more suitably dimensioned for affixing to merchandise (e.g., clothes) to indicate inventory and price information.

The above mentioned types of card readers are also not readily adaptable or modifiable for rapidly reading information stored in a magnetic media carried by the card. Such types of cards or tickets containing a magnetic media are beginning to become widely used in inventory control systems, e.g., in merchandising of clothes, etc., wherein small tickets are affixed to the merchandise and then collected by the cashier for pro cessing when the merchandise is sold.

Difficulties particularly arise in accurately position ing the small card (or ticket) with respect to a magnetic reading head in order to detect the data stored on the ticket.

It therefore became apparent that a new and improved ticket reader was required for use in reading small dimensioned tickets and in particular to provide means for rapidly reading and sorting tickets containing a magnetic media thereon. In addition, a new and improved ticket reader and sorter was required which would be capable of rapidly reading information stored on a ticket and which would also be capable of being controlled from a computer.

The ticket reader and sorter of this invention also provides means for sorting the tickets depending on the information or lack of information carried by the tickets. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved ticket reader and/or sorter.

Still other objects and advantages will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification. The invention accordingly, comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth. as well as the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others which is exemplified in the following detailed description, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view showing the construction of the turret as well as the relationship of the various devices (e.g., reading mechanism, feed bins, etc.) positioned above the turret according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 in FIGfl FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in 0 FIG. 2

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the controls for operating the reader of this invention;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 there is shown in a top view the general layout of the machine cabinet (in broken line) of the invention. A rotatable and indexable turret 30 positioned in the cabinet and preferably flush with the top surface thereof is provided. The turret 30 is preferably in the shape of a disc having a central hub mounted on a shaft 29. The turret includes six ticket receivers 31 spaced about the top surface for positioning the ticket in the receiver and with respect to anopening or hole 33 described below. The ticket receivers 31 are preferably formed by providing a plurality of shaped recessed areas or cavities (e.g. machine or cast). The receivers 31 are also provided with channels or fluid or vacuum directing portions (preferably formed in the bottom thereof) which are positioned about an opening or hole 33 which extends through the turret. The opening 33 is provided to permit ejecting means, to be described later, to push a ticket out of the receiver and into a stacker or the like. The channel portions cooperate with fluid or vacuum passages formed in the turret (e.g., by drilling holes in from the turret side and thereafter plugging the end). The passages extend inwardly towards the center of the turret and then downwardly. The passages are provided to permit suction (vacuum) to be applied through the turret from a source of vacuum (see FIG. 4) to draw or suck air out of said passages and draw a ticket from a stacker onto or into a receiver 31 of the turret and 'to hold the ticket on or in the receiver during the movement of the turret between stations. Positioned within the receivers 31, as shown in FIG. 1, are preferably compliant backings 36 e.g., of rubber, plastic, or the like) which are preferably shaped to encircle the hole 33. I

The compliant backing is provided with a plurality of holes or openings 37 extending therethrough and which are preferably positioned above, and in register with channels so as to direct the applied vacuum. The compliant backing is preferably mounted within the receiver recess (e.g., by gluing to the bottom thereof) so that all vacuum or suction provided through the channels is directed through the holes 37 and not around the sides of the compliant backing. In this manner the compliant backing in effect acts as a sea]. It is also advantageous for processing tickets if the backing has a relatively high coefficient of friction so the tickets dont readily turn when positioned thereon.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the reader is shown as having six stations (numbered I-VI) between which the turret moves to position tickets and or receives tickets. At stations I and II there'are provided input stackers 40 and 41 for holding tickets to be processed by the reader. The reason that two input stackers are provided is to permit continuous operation of the reader by permitting one stacker to be filled, by an operation, while the other stacker is providing tickets. It should be understood that the machine functions perfectly well with only one stacker instead of the two shown. At the bottom of the stackers there are provided downward going projections 43 for preventing more than one ticket from being carried away by the receiver. The projections 43 are long enough to essentially act as slicer to permit only one ticket of the stack of tickets supported on top of the turret to enter the receiver and to be carried away therein. When the receiver is not present and the tickets are supported by the turret top surface, the projections 43 prevent any further tickets from leaving the stacker.

The pojections are such that only one ticket may be drawn onto the receivers compliant backing when vacuum is applied to the receiver. It should also be understood that a spindle type stacker can also be used to feed tickets to the turret.

At station VI there is provided a drop-off assembly for permitting tickets which have been read to be disposed. The drop-off assembly is shown in more detail in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The assembly comprises a cylinder 90 (e.g., pneumatic or hydraulic) for moving an ejecting head 91 through the hole 33 of the turret and the receiver 31. The ejecting head 91 pushes the ticket upwardly at a high rate of speed against a deflector portion (preferably curved) of a hood or chute 92 which directs the ticket so that it falls away from the turret and into a bin 93 supported by the machine cabinet 64 or a wastebasket positioned on the floor (not shown).

A detailed description of the operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-4 is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,065 of which this application is a division and is incorporated herein by reference hereto.

' We claim:

I. In a ticket reading system having a plurality of stations one of said stations being an ejection station, a rotary turret having a plurality of ticket receivers about a top surface thereof, means for rotating said turret and stopping said turret at said stations, each of said ticket receivers shaped to receive a ticket for retention therein and each of said ticket receivers having an opening therein extending from a bottom surface thereof to a bottom surface of said turret, ejecting means positioned at said ejecting station and having an ejecting head positioned below said turret bottom and movable to extend into said opening by first extending through the opening at the turret bottom to engage a ticket supported by the bottom of the ticket receiver, vacuum means coupled to each of said ticket receivers for producing suction to retain tickets in said receiver, hood means positioned at least in part above said turret and at said ejecting station with a portion thereof located so that a ticket receiver may be positioned therebelow when the turret is stopped to position one of said ticket receivers at said ejecting station, means for deactivating said vacuum means to permit said ticket to be supported by said ticket receiver bottom without suction applied thereto when said ticket receiver is positioned and stopped at said ejecting station, and control means providing an actuating signal to said ejecting means after suction has been removed and said ticket receiver is positioned and stopped at said ejection station to cause said ejecting head to extend through said opening by entering from the bottom of the turret to engage a surface of a ticket supported by the bottom of the ticket receiver and propel it into free flight against the hood thereabove so as to deflect it away from said ticket receiver.

2. In a system according to claim 1 in which-said hood extends outwardly beyond the side extremity of said turret and is curved to deflect a ticket away from the center of the turret.

3. In a system according to claim 2 in which bin means is supported by said reader at said ejecting station to receivetickets ejected from said ticket receiver.

4. In a system according to claim 1 in which control means also selectively actuates said ejecting means depending upon information processed by said reader from a ticket at another one of the stations of said reader.

5. In a system according to claim 4 in which said hood extends outwardly beyond the side extremity of said turret and is curved to deflect a ticket away from the center of said turret.

6. In a ticket processing system, a rotatable turret having a plurality of ticket receivers positioned thereabout, said ticket receivers each having an opening at the bottom thereof, ejecting means having an ejecting head movable into said opening to push a ticket supported by said receiver out of said receiver, a deflecting hood having a portion thereof positioned over said turret, means for moving said turret to position a ticket receiver under said portion of said hood positioned over said turret and means for actuating said ejecting means to cause said ejecting head to move into said opening to engage a ticket supported by said ticket receiver and propel it in free flight against said deflecting hood, said deflecting hood shaped to direct the ticket so propelled away from the ticket receiver.

7. In a ticket processing system according to claim 6 in which said hood extends beyond the side surface of said turret to deflect said ticket away from the center 

1. In a ticket reading system having a plurality of stations one of said stations being an ejection station, a rotary turret having a plurality of ticket receivers about a top surface thereof, means for rotating said turret and stopping said turret at said stations, each of said ticket receivers shaped to receive a ticket for retention therein and each of said ticket receivers having an opening therein extending from a bottom surface thereof to a bottom surface of said turret, ejecting means positioned at said ejecting station and having an ejecting head positioned below said turret bottom and movable to extend into said opening by first extending through the opening at the turret bottom to engage a ticket supported by the bottom of the ticket receiver, vacuum means coupled to each of said ticket receivers for producing suction to retain tickets in said receiver, hood means positioned at least in part above said turret and at said ejecting station with a portion thereof located so that a ticket receiver may be positioned therebelow when the turret is stopped to position one of said ticket receivers at said ejecting station, means for deactivating said vacuum means to permit said ticket to be supported by said ticket receiver bottom without suction applied thereto when said ticket receiver is positioned and stopped at said ejecting station, and control means providing an actuating signal to said ejecting means after suction has been removed and said ticket receiver is positioned and stopped at said ejection station to cause said ejecting head to extend through said opening by entering from the bottom of the turret to engage a surface of a ticket supported by the bottom of the ticket receiver and propel it into free flight against the hood thereabove so as to deflect it away from said ticket receiver.
 2. In a system according to claim 1 in which said hood extends outwardly beyond the side extremity of said turret and is curved to deflect a ticket away from the center of the turret.
 3. In a system according to claim 2 in which bin means is supported by said reader at said ejecting station to receive tickets ejected from said ticket receiver.
 4. In a system according to claim 1 in which control means also selectively actuates said ejecting means depending upon information processed by said reader from a ticket at another one of the stations of said reader.
 5. In a system according to claim 4 in which said hood extends outwardly beyond the side extremity of said turret and is curved to deflect a ticket awAy from the center of said turret.
 6. In a ticket processing system, a rotatable turret having a plurality of ticket receivers positioned thereabout, said ticket receivers each having an opening at the bottom thereof, ejecting means having an ejecting head movable into said opening to push a ticket supported by said receiver out of said receiver, a deflecting hood having a portion thereof positioned over said turret, means for moving said turret to position a ticket receiver under said portion of said hood positioned over said turret and means for actuating said ejecting means to cause said ejecting head to move into said opening to engage a ticket supported by said ticket receiver and propel it in free flight against said deflecting hood, said deflecting hood shaped to direct the ticket so propelled away from the ticket receiver.
 7. In a ticket processing system according to claim 6 in which said hood extends beyond the side surface of said turret to deflect said ticket away from the center of said turret. 